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Bridging Cultures Through Art: CECCI Successfully Completes the 2026 Avignon International Cultural Exchange Programme
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All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.
2nd August 2026
From 11 to 27 July 2026, a delegation from the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI), led by Chairman Bryson Xue and joined by Board Members Xiaoyi Jiang, Jiaying Liang and Ling’er Zhang, travelled to Avignon, France, to organise a series of cultural exchange activities through the international platform of the Avignon Festival, further promoting cultural and artistic cooperation between China and Europe.
As one of the world’s most influential platforms for contemporary performing arts, the Avignon Festival attracts theatre companies, arts organisations, producers, festival curators and industry professionals from around the world every year. It serves not only as an important stage for showcasing international theatre productions, but also as a key hub for connecting global performing arts resources and facilitating professional collaboration.
In 2026, the IN section of the Festival d’Avignon and the Festival Off Avignon brought together approximately 1,895 performances from across the world. Established in 1966, Festival Off Avignon has grown into one of the largest performing arts festivals globally, bringing together thousands of artists and more than a thousand productions each year, while providing a broad platform for international performing arts exchange and cooperation.
During the Avignon programme, CECCI organised four original productions, including the contemporary dance theatre production Happy Birthday by Shanghai Theatre Academy, the contemporary dance theatre production The Floating Life 2.0 by The Spectator Cconcept Theatre, and the original children’s theatre production Ancient Ship 2.0, to be presented at Festival Off Avignon.
Over the 17-day international cultural exchange programme in Avignon, CECCI fully leveraged its role as a platform for international cultural engagement, coordinating performances, international promotion, resource connections and professional exchanges, while continuing to deepen cooperation between Chinese and European performing arts sectors.
During the performances, the four productions engaged extensively with audiences and industry professionals from around the world through theatre performances, street showcases, promotional activities and professional presentations. CECCI continued to promote the productions and held in-depth discussions with theatre directors, production organisations and performing arts agents from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy and other countries and regions, introducing Chinese original works and actively exploring opportunities for international touring and overseas collaboration.
The four productions, covering contemporary dance show and children’s show, demonstrated the diverse development of contemporary Chinese stage arts through distinctive cultural characteristics, rich artistic expression and growing creative capabilities. They attracted attention from international professionals and enabled more overseas counterparts to gain a deeper understanding of the achievements of China’s original performing arts.
While promoting Chinese productions internationally, the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI) continued to utilise its role as a platform for international cultural exchange by actively participating in professional activities held during the Avignon Festival. The Centre attended a wide range of outstanding productions presented in both the IN section of the Festival d’Avignon and the Festival Off Avignon, while conducting systematic research into areas including theatrical creation, directing approaches, stage aesthetics, international co-productions, theatre management and international touring mechanisms. CECCI also took part in professional forums, industry exchanges and project showcases organised throughout the festival.
During the programme, CECCI engaged in extensive discussions with directors, producers, theatre representatives and cultural institution leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain and other countries. Exchanges focused on areas including the reciprocal presentation of productions, international touring, co-productions, the development of young artists, festival partnerships and international market promotion. These discussions further expanded CECCI’s international cooperation network and laid a solid foundation for bringing outstanding European productions to China and strengthening two-way collaboration between Chinese and European performing arts organisations.
On 20 July 2026 local time in France, the 2026 Asia-Europe Culture and Arts Development Forum (Avignon) was successfully held. The forum was jointly organised by the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI) and Shanghai Theatre Academy, with support from the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, the Festival Off Avignon and the City of Avignon.
The forum brought together representatives from universities, arts organisations, international festivals and cultural institutions from China, France, the United Kingdom and other countries. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including international performing arts cooperation, innovation in the cultural industries, the development of young artistic talent and the international promotion of performing arts productions.
During the forum, an international performing arts project showcase and Performance Showcase were held, providing an important platform for outstanding Chinese original productions to connect with the European professional market. The unveiling ceremony for the Shanghai Theatre Academy Overseas Practice Base (Avignon) was also held, further strengthening international cooperation between higher education institutions and expanding opportunities for young artists to gain international practical experience.
As the second edition of the Asia-Europe Culture and Arts Development Forum following the successful launch of the inaugural event in the United Kingdom in 2025, this year’s forum marked its first presence at the Avignon Festival. By making use of the international influence of one of the world’s leading arts festivals, the forum further promoted resource sharing, project collaboration and institutional development among cultural and arts organisations in China and Europe.
Over the two-week programme, CECCI organised the presentation of Chinese original productions on the international stage, hosted the Asia-Europe Culture and Arts Development Forum, carried out international roadshows and project presentations, and engaged with outstanding European productions while connecting with global performing arts resources. Throughout these activities, CECCI remained committed to using international arts festivals as bridges and cultural exchange as a link, actively supporting the integration of Chinese original performing arts works into the international market and enhancing the global communication and influence of Chinese culture and arts.
The Avignon programme represented an important practice in CECCI’s efforts to promote the international reach of Chinese original performing arts works and deepen cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Europe. It also marked a significant achievement in the Centre’s continued efforts to connect global cultural and artistic resources through international festival platforms.
Building on the success of the Avignon International Cultural Exchange Programme, CECCI will continue to utilise international arts festival platforms to connect with high-quality cultural and artistic resources worldwide. The Centre will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with international universities, theatres, festivals and cultural institutions, support the global presentation of outstanding Chinese original performing arts works, and facilitate the introduction of high-quality international productions to China. By continuously expanding the scope and depth of China-Europe cultural and artistic cooperation, CECCI will continue to serve as a platform for international cultural exchange and contribute to mutual learning between Chinese and European cultures, as well as dialogue among civilisations worldwide.
图片及内容版权归CECCI所有，如发现侵权或盗用行为将追究法律责任
All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.